I have been thinking lately about the parable of the rich young man. I know that we really try to encourage those who attend church where I do to tithe, and to do so with a happy heart. Our church has done a pretty good job of doing so, and that is great. It is good to give of your first fruits to God, and I believe wholeheartedly in doing so, but then I began to think deeper about it. You see, Jesus didn’t ask the Rich young man to give ten percent of what he had. He didn’t suggest that the young man follow the Dave Ramsey plan of ten to God, ten in savings, and eighty to bills. No, he asked the young man to give it all up.
Mark 10: 17-25
As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.“Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.” Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
When he asked Jesus what he must do to be saved, he was told to follow the commandments, and the young man told Jesus that he had in fact kept those commandments, and this part touches me particularly, “Jesus looked at him and loved him”. He loved him, yet he had to tell the young man that he still lacked something, he needed to divest his riches and give it to the poor, and “then come and follow me”.
Wow, I have wondered why Jesus didn’t just ask the young man to tithe like everybody else, why couldn’t he keep his ninety like everyone else and be considered faithful. Don’t we feel pretty good inside if we give the top ten percent to God and do so with a cheerful heart. So why was it different with the rich young man. I think it is because Jesus was trying to make a point, unless you are willing to give it all up to have a home in Heaven with Him, then you will be like the rich young man. Now the key to what I said is “willing” in how I see it.
I have thought some in the past about my life and how I have been blessed, healthy children, nice homes, good cars to drive, and although we don’t lean toward flashy, and we are rather muted in our likes and dislikes, I feel as though we would definitely fit into the same classification as the rich young man, we have a lot. As a matter of fact, I would bet that the vast majority of us who live in this country would fall into that classification also.
So, what if, rather than asking me to be a cheerful giver, Jesus asked me to go and sell everything I own, give it to the poor and follow Him, would I do it with a cheerful heart, or would I balk at having to give up things like my cars, my home, my nice job and my cushy life or would I just grin ear to ear and say “You got it Jesus, anything for You”?
Even though I do not feel like a materialistic person, I have to say that I would not be eager to let everything I have go and strike out with nothing but my faith, and that saddens me, because I want to be there one day, to the point where I am able to just trust in the Lord completely and trust that He will meet all my needs. I already know that He will take care of me, but the thought of getting rid of my every possession and having nothing gives me a little heartburn, and I feel it shouldn’t. What are your thoughts? God Bless
JFT
Many years ago, I felt the Lord say that I could have nice things as long as I was willing to give them up if He asked me to do it. So,when I’ve purchased something, I’ve reminded myself that I might have to give it up. This little statement has set me free of most of my materialistic intentions…so far anyway.
Great point Larry,
That is actually kind of the way I have been looking at things, but I have actually felt the Spirit calling me to let go of some of those luxury items I have had. Strange i know, but when u feel the Spirit speaking to you, it is good to listen. I think you are right, it is okay to have nice things, just so long as you don’t get so attached that you would lament letting them go. Thanks bro!
Jim, You stopped your quotation of the story before my favorite verse. In verse 27 it says, “Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.'”
As I’ve read this parable it has always seemed to me it is about God granting us eternal life, but the rich young man wanted to know what he had to do. Whether I give it all or give only 10%, I cannot earn my way to eternal life. It is difficult for a rich man to enter heaven because he spends his life trying to do the right thing and to earn his way by giving. But with God, the impossible becomes possible and the rich man can have eternal life by trusting in Jesus.
I do agree, however, that it is important to put our trust completely in Jesus and not in our material possessions. We have to trust that if all we had was gone today, He would still be there for us and that it is only because of Him that we can be saved. Peace, Linda
Dear Linda,
so true, so very true. This was more of me just thinking about what it woould be like to have been in his shoes. I have always felt sorry for him, because he wasn’t able to let go of everything and follow Christ, and I have just felt sad for him. I look at those i consider Bible heroes, like Job and all that he had, and all that he lost, including his family, and I wonder how I would fare in those circumstances.
I like to think I would gladly let it go and build treasures in heaven, but it is easy to “monday morning quarterback” the decisions of others, but when the rubber meets the road, would we be willing to put all of our faith in God and be like the early church in Acts, you know. I know we cannot “earn” through our actions a place in heaven, without the blood of Christ, we are nothing, we are lost. Thanks for the great comment. God bless
Jim
Do you belong to Jesus? Yes? And all that you have and all that you get, does this not also ultimately belong to Jesus? Yes? Jesus wants us 100%, not 10%. Perhaps instead of asking how much we should give, we should ask God how much we get to keep to use for the needs he knows we have…
To suggest that we should all sell what we have, give to the poor and follow Jesus (as they say, in faith alone) is to generalize and misread the passage. Instead, as is his way, Jesus was pinpointing the young man’s problem. It is the problem of materialism. The young man did not own many posessions. The posessions owned the young man, and Jesus is not interested in divided loyalties.
-Michael
The Fiction Side: The Storyteller http://mgkizzia.wordpress.com/
The Non-Fiction Side: Word & Spirit http://michaelkizzia.wordpress.com/
Welcome Michael, and thank you for your comment. I cannot agree more, you worded your response very well. To me, it is not about the possesions, but about the state of the heart. The value we place on material goods, and although I believe we are moving away from materialism in a way, we still have much.
I and my wife were discussing this subject the other day, and I asked her what she thought about this question. If you were called to give up our home, what we feel as security, Jobs, incomes, pretty much life as we know it, and go into a homeless mission would she be able to do it without heartburn? She honestly said that she would love to say she could, but that she couldn’t say for sure. I know that sounds extreme to us Americans, but there are people that I know personally in Egypt, Tunisia, Russia, China, Nigeria and other places where Christianity isn’t embraced that have made these hard decisions. I am so encouraged by their faith, and want to be that way someday. Anyway, thank you for visiting, and God Bless
Jim
I think I’ve felt sorry for the young ruler too, when reading that scripture. And also wondered what I would do. I am thinking at that time some HAD left everything and literally followed Jesus. So I am feeling your post and learning from the comments, and asking Him to change me . . .to just keep changing me.
God bless you as you keep open-hearted before Him each day!
Thanks Deb,
I know you “get” what I am saying here, as the others do also. I have been challenged a bit lately with things, and I “know” God is sending me a lesson, but I haven’t yet unlocked it, if that makes sense. The challenges have been to my sense of honesty, and to being an honorable man and doing what I feel is right, and it has been at work. I have been having to stand up and fight for doing what I feel in my Heart, no my Spirit, what is right. It has made me feel like a salmon swimming upstream when all aothers are going with the flow of least resistance, if that makes sense.
To the secular world, I am making a big deal out of something small, but how small is a lie, is there a white lie? No, there is not, and so I am having to decide how much to lay on the table to do what I feel is right, which of course involves my wife, our kids, our lifestyle. I have a group of Godly men I meet with weekly, we pray about it, and they tell me I am fighting the good fight, and facing persecution for my faith, but I have a hard time with that, knowing how others face persecution worldwide for their faith. In the end, I am not being imprisoned or tortured for my faith, only having to decide how much I like my life the way it is. And knowing it is not worth lying for, I want the lowliest place in Heaven that I can get, so long as I am there.
So, what am I willing to give up for a home in Heaven is a real question for me right now. I have asked God for help on this since the beginning of the year, I have stood up a total of four times now, refusing to do what I feel is not right, but every thime I feel it is resolved, it comes back around again. So, have to wonder if God just wants me to continue being persistant, or if there is something else entirely God is trying to tell me. No answers yet, still have faith He will resolve, just waiting. God is good and Faithful, my lesson just isn’t over yet I’m sure. God Bless-Jim
Jim, as I read in Acts, I just felt like this verse was something I should share with you. “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings , and the children of Israel. For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.” Acts 9:15-16 Thinking of you and what your year has been like, and praying too for you as His vessel!
Thanks Deb, I feel the prayers.
Actually had a bit of a breakthrough today, It will be a post in the coming days. God answers us in ways that are different and unexpected sometimes, and that is how this answer came. God Bless, and thanks for prayers!
Jim